As a parent of three teen boys and a local pediatrician, it concerns me that many people fail to get an annual flu vaccine. Over the course of my 20 years in practice, I’ve seen plenty of previously healthy patients succumb to influenza. And I’ve even had to comfort scared parents, wishing they had done more to try to prevent their child’s illness in the first place. Read more about why Dr. Ho strongly advocates flu shots ...

My friend Lee had a scare last year. She thought she might have thyroid cancer. It all began when she had a CT scan for something else and it showed a nodule or lump on her thyroid. Then she had a fine needle aspiration biopsy, which came back suspicious for papillary cancer, the most common type of thyroid cancer.

If you’ve hit 50 and you’re a woman, chances are your bones have lost some strength over the years. Most people’s bones are as dense as they’ll ever be between the ages of 18 to 25. By the time you reach 35, density begins to gradually decrease until menopause. After menopause, bone loss happens more rapidly — as much as 20 percent in five to seven years. Find out if you're at risk ...

In Maine news recently, there was a sad and disturbing story about a teenager arrested on charges of burglary, theft, criminal mischief and criminal trespass. According to an article in the Bangor Daily News, he was found naked in one of two homes he allegedly broke into.

It's coffee that will rob me of sleep. Even a cup at one in the afternoon can pack a wallop of caffeine. I learned my lesson the hard way.

I know I'm not the only one who has figured out that coffee can lead to a sleepless night. If you’ve been suffering from insomnia, maybe you should take a close look at what you eat before you go to bed.